Steel Rail
Construction had begun on the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1870 and by 1871 the first construction trains had arrived in Brainerd. Brainerd was chosen as the site for this great railroad to cross the Mississippi on its way between Carlton (near Duluth) and Tacoma, Washington. The choice of Brainerd as the crossing for the railroad meant the rise of Brainerd and the fall of Crow Wing, a clear effect of change in situation. Around 1890, Brainerd was also chosen as the headquarters and railhead for the Brainerd Northern International Railroad, which ran to International Falls, MN. This railroad was originally conceived as a narrow gauge railroad under the name of the Brainerd and Northern, but was converted to standard gauge as a concession to generous legislators.
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